Chapter 4 - THE VOICE THAT KNEW MY HEART
Nobody moved.
Gabriel’s voice continued through the speaker.
“Elena, you were supposed to discover what he knew and leave.”
My face burned.
Julian’s eyes shifted toward me.
I wanted the floor to open.
Gabriel laughed softly.
“Apparently, Margaret underestimated human nature.”
Margaret stepped forward.
“Where are you?”
“Still pretending you control this, Maggie?”
“Gabriel—”
“No.”
His voice hardened.
“You spent years digging into things your father buried for a reason.”
Julian’s jaw tightened.
“My father buried you.”
Gabriel went quiet.
Then:
“Your father tried.”
Julian’s expression changed.
“So you’re alive.”
“Very observant.”
“Did you arrange my accident?”
Gabriel laughed.
“No.”
“Who did?”
“You’re asking the wrong question.”
“What question should I ask?”
“Why were you supposed to survive?”
The room went silent.
Julian looked at Margaret.
She looked confused.
Gabriel continued.
“The road was rigged. The brakes were compromised. But someone also arranged for an ambulance to arrive five minutes after the crash.”
Julian went still.
“That ambulance saved my life.”
“Yes.”
“Who called it?”
Gabriel didn’t answer.
I remembered something.
My father.
If he sabotaged the car under threat, could he also have tried to save Julian?
“David,” I whispered.
Gabriel heard.
“Good girl.”
I hated the approval in his voice.
My father had compromised Julian’s car.
Then called emergency services.
Maybe that was why he died.
Because he refused to finish the job.
“Did you kill my father?” I asked.
Silence.
Then Gabriel answered:
“No.”
“Do you know who did?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“Julian does.”
I turned toward him.
Julian’s face hardened.
“I don’t.”
Gabriel laughed.
“You just don’t remember.”
A chill moved through the room.
“What does that mean?” Margaret asked.
Gabriel’s voice changed.
Almost gentle.
“Ask him what happened the night David Vale died.”
I looked at Julian.
His eyes were unreadable.
“My father died in a warehouse fire.”
“Yes.”
Gabriel continued.
“And Julian was there.”
My chest tightened.
“Were you?”
Julian didn’t answer immediately.
Then:
“Yes.”
The truth hit harder than I expected.
“You never told me.”
“You never asked.”
“That is not an answer.”
His jaw tightened.
“I went there because David contacted me.”
“Why?”
“He said he knew who caused the crash.”
I stared.
“What happened?”
Julian looked toward the windows.
“I don’t remember everything.”
Margaret frowned.
“You never told me that.”
“I woke up outside.”
“Outside what?”
“The warehouse.”
Julian’s voice became quieter.
“There was blood on my shirt.”
My skin went cold.
“Whose blood?”
“I don’t know.”
Then Gabriel spoke through the phone one final time.
May you like
“It was David Vale’s.”
The line went dead.
